People With Schizophrenia More Likely to Die of Heart Attack, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Study 10/4/2012 7:46:01 AM

The risk of death resulting from heart attack is higher in people with schizophrenia than in the general public, according to scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). On average, people with schizophrenia have a lifespan 20 years shorter than the general population. This is partly due to factors such as smoking, increased rates of diabetes, and metabolic problems brought on by the use of some antipsychotic medications. These factors often worsen once a cardiac condition arises because people with schizophrenia are less likely to make the necessary lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, to offset the problem. This study, published online in Schizophrenia Research, examined mortality and access to cardiac care after heart attacks (acute myocardial infarction) in those with schizophrenia.